Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-14
CABLES, S,ELECTRICITY AND HORSES
An Investigation to be Made by the w.
and q. Railroad Company.

An Investigation to be Made by the w.
and q. Railroad Company.
COMMITTEE TO TRAVEL AND MAKE NoUIRIEs-DIF
FERENT SYSTEMS PROPOSED FOR THE AVENUE LINE
THE 14TH STREET ''BOBTAIS"
The board Of directors Of the Washington and
Georgetown Railroad company has adopted a
resolution directing the appointment OF a commit
tee "for the purpose OF taking under advisement
all questions looking to the future requirements
of the company, and that they be directed to
visit the various cities where cable roads are in
operation, and that they solicit correspondence in
regard 10 the various Kinds of motive power used
on street railroads"
that this committee would probably leave the
city in April and make an extended investigation
or all the methods now in use for propelling street
cars. SO that the company would be able TO go be-
fore the committees OF Congress with definite
proposition as to what they considered the best
system. AS the bill introduced in the last session
OF Congress to amend the charter or the Washing
ton and Georgetown company so as to permit
them to use the cable or the electric motor system
failed or passage, the company cannot effect a
change until some congressional action is taken.
the charter requires them to carriages .'drawn
by horsepower"
THE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
Mr.. Hurt said that IL was not yet demonstrated
that horses did not after all furnish the best and
sired to equip its road with what was best for the
public, believing that that would be the best for
the company, as the interests OF the company and
the public are Identical. In Philadelphia the
cable road had not been, as he was informed, a
success IN other cities however, IL was reported
to he successful improvements were constantly
being made, however, in cables for railroad pur-
poses. The cable systems that have been ap-
proved by use cost about 100000 a mile; now
they Claimed was eficient, that would cost but
$4,000 mile
ELECTRIC CARS.
Mr.. Hurt said that the application Of electricity
to street railroads was still largely experimental
The system worked successfully in Toronto and
Montgomery, Ala, were not, he thought practi-
cable for large cities with crowded streets The
system would do in small cities or suburban
places 1t requires line OF poles with an over
head wire, With which each car is connected by a
"traveller." The underground conduit system
was not satisfactory on account OF leaking. Mr..
Hurt thought that so TAR as the facts now known
gave indication OF the future that the only electric
car that would be practicable in large cities would
be car with storage battery. Each car then
would be independent and no wires would be
needed Whatever was determined to be the best
the company proposed TO adopt II Congress au-
thOr1Zed its adoption.
THE 18th STREET "BoB TAILS"
Speaking OF the complaints about 'bob tall cars
on 14th street, Mr.. Hurt said that the w. d G.
road was the only one in Washington that used
double ears. 1t used the single cars only on this
mile and half an 14th street. He would not
blame the people on that line for complaining il
the company proposed to perpetuate that system
1t was the intention OF the company in case
Congress authorized the change in the charter to
put the same cars on l4th street as on the other
lines and run through cars down 14th street and
along the avenue line to the navy yard. Asst was
he thought il unreasonable to ask the company to
go to the trouble and expense OF equipping that
line with double cars, when they might within
sixty days after they put the cars have to take
them OF again to make way for new cable or cleo
trio cars. It might, he said, be deemed best to re-
tain horse power on the roads. in which case
double cars would be placed on 14th street.